Betrayal

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Overview

John Hughes joined MI5 during the war on terror and was at the forefront of averting the biggest terrorist plots on UK soil. Now in his mid 40s and married with two children he’s struggling to adapt to the new MI5, where threats to national security have changed and he’s forced to adapt to the values of a progressive work environment.

Media

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Betrayal | Coming Soon

Cast

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Actor Avatar
Romola Garai
Actor Avatar
Shaun Evans
Fist Air Date:
2026-02-08
Episode Runtime:
undefinedm
Production Companies:
Mammoth Screen
Genres:
Crime Mystery
Keywords:
british spy mi5
More Show Details

Vote Average: 7.6/10

Vote Count: 5 Votes

Show Popularity: 1.1536

Show Status: Returning Series

Show Type: Scripted

Spoken Languages: English

Review

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  1. Insomniacs Reviews
    6 Based on 1 Votes
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    ⭐ Insomniacs Rating: 6/10 THE SUMMARY If *Endeavour* decided to join MI5 and have a mid-life crisis, you’d get *Betrayal* (2026). This four-part ITV thriller follows John Hughes (Shaun Evans), a veteran intelligence officer struggling to adapt to the "new" MI5. When an informant is executed right in front of him, John goes rogue to stop an Iranian-backed plot on UK soil, all while his marriage to GP Claire (Romola Garai) is circling the drain because he can't stop lying about his "work meetings." By April 23, 2026, it’s officially the "Slow Horses for the North" of the 900+ archive, trading the sleek streets of London for the flat-roofed pubs and rain-slicked car parks of Manchester and Stockport. THE PROS Shaun Evans is a total win; he brings a sincere, bewildered vulnerability to John that makes the 900+ archive feel significantly more human. He effectively sheds the Morse shadow to play a man who is genuinely tired of the secrets. Romola Garai is the business as Claire, providing a powerhouse performance that makes the domestic fallout feel just as dangerous as the international espionage. The show’s biggest win is its grounded, "dour" atmosphere—it avoids the James Bond gadgets and instead focuses on the grime and bureaucracy of real-world intelligence. Zahra Ahmadi as Mehreen is a sincere highlight, offering the most engaging and fearless perspective in the series. THE CONS It is a 6/10 because it tries to be a marriage drama and a spy thriller at the same time and doesn't quite stick the landing. It misses the 7/10 mark because, as *The Guardian* noted in February 2026, the two halves of the show often feel like a total head-scratcher when forced together. It is total garbage that the thriller plot can feel a bit like a Languid Burn, with some of the "imminent threat" beats feeling like they’ve been pulled from a 2005 episode of *Spooks*. For some, the ending felt a bit rushed, leaving John’s career and personal life in a state of ambiguity that felt more like a "hope for Season 2" than a satisfying conclusion. THE VERDICT A 6/10. It is a genuine, well-acted, but ultimately uneven drama that succeeds more because of its cast than its script. I was slightly gutted that the "cat-and-mouse" elements with the Iranian faction felt a bit undercooked compared to the intense kitchen-table arguments. It is total garbage if you want a high-octane actioner, but as a "thinker’s" spy drama with a gritty Northern soul, it’s a decent vault filler. By April 23, 2026, it’s the show that has every *Endeavour* fan tuning in, even if they leave feeling a little more depressed than they did at the start. INSOMNIAC TRIVIA * Reunion: This series reunites Shaun Evans with the production company Mammoth Screen, the same team behind *Endeavour*, which explains the high-quality period-accurate (even if it's modern) feel.* Location Shift: While most spy shows stay in the M25, *Betrayal* was filmed across Chester, Liverpool, Manchester, and Stockport, giving it a sincere "Northern Noir" aesthetic.* Real Intelligence: The script by David Eldridge was reportedly researched with former intelligence officers to capture the "mid-level" MI5 experience, where the coffee is bad and the paperwork is endless.* 2026 Connection: This April, *Betrayal* has seen a 2026 "Spy Genre Spike" on ITVX. Fans are currently making "John Hughes vs. Jackson Lamb" comparison videos on social media, debating who is the more "realistic" depiction of a burnt-out British agent. THE VIBE Like a lukewarm pint in a pub where the lights are a bit too bright. It is somber, tense, and deeply domestic. It makes you want to delete your burner phone, apologize to your spouse, and realize that saving the country is a lot easier than saving your own marriage.

TV Show Poster

Season 1

4 Episodes

Air Date: 2026-02-08

Videos

Betrayal | Coming Soon

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Reviews for

Betrayal

Comment (1)

  1. Insomniacs Reviews

    ⭐ Insomniacs Rating: 6/10

    THE SUMMARY
    If *Endeavour* decided to join MI5 and have a mid-life crisis, you’d get *Betrayal* (2026). This four-part ITV thriller follows John Hughes (Shaun Evans), a veteran intelligence officer struggling to adapt to the “new” MI5. When an informant is executed right in front of him, John goes rogue to stop an Iranian-backed plot on UK soil, all while his marriage to GP Claire (Romola Garai) is circling the drain because he can’t stop lying about his “work meetings.” By April 23, 2026, it’s officially the “Slow Horses for the North” of the 900+ archive, trading the sleek streets of London for the flat-roofed pubs and rain-slicked car parks of Manchester and Stockport.

    THE PROS
    Shaun Evans is a total win; he brings a sincere, bewildered vulnerability to John that makes the 900+ archive feel significantly more human. He effectively sheds the Morse shadow to play a man who is genuinely tired of the secrets. Romola Garai is the business as Claire, providing a powerhouse performance that makes the domestic fallout feel just as dangerous as the international espionage. The show’s biggest win is its grounded, “dour” atmosphere—it avoids the James Bond gadgets and instead focuses on the grime and bureaucracy of real-world intelligence. Zahra Ahmadi as Mehreen is a sincere highlight, offering the most engaging and fearless perspective in the series.

    THE CONS
    It is a 6/10 because it tries to be a marriage drama and a spy thriller at the same time and doesn’t quite stick the landing. It misses the 7/10 mark because, as *The Guardian* noted in February 2026, the two halves of the show often feel like a total head-scratcher when forced together. It is total garbage that the thriller plot can feel a bit like a Languid Burn, with some of the “imminent threat” beats feeling like they’ve been pulled from a 2005 episode of *Spooks*. For some, the ending felt a bit rushed, leaving John’s career and personal life in a state of ambiguity that felt more like a “hope for Season 2” than a satisfying conclusion.

    THE VERDICT
    A 6/10. It is a genuine, well-acted, but ultimately uneven drama that succeeds more because of its cast than its script. I was slightly gutted that the “cat-and-mouse” elements with the Iranian faction felt a bit undercooked compared to the intense kitchen-table arguments. It is total garbage if you want a high-octane actioner, but as a “thinker’s” spy drama with a gritty Northern soul, it’s a decent vault filler. By April 23, 2026, it’s the show that has every *Endeavour* fan tuning in, even if they leave feeling a little more depressed than they did at the start.

    INSOMNIAC TRIVIA
    * Reunion: This series reunites Shaun Evans with the production company Mammoth Screen, the same team behind *Endeavour*, which explains the high-quality period-accurate (even if it’s modern) feel.

    * Location Shift: While most spy shows stay in the M25, *Betrayal* was filmed across Chester, Liverpool, Manchester, and Stockport, giving it a sincere “Northern Noir” aesthetic.

    * Real Intelligence: The script by David Eldridge was reportedly researched with former intelligence officers to capture the “mid-level” MI5 experience, where the coffee is bad and the paperwork is endless.

    * 2026 Connection: This April, *Betrayal* has seen a 2026 “Spy Genre Spike” on ITVX. Fans are currently making “John Hughes vs. Jackson Lamb” comparison videos on social media, debating who is the more “realistic” depiction of a burnt-out British agent.

    THE VIBE
    Like a lukewarm pint in a pub where the lights are a bit too bright. It is somber, tense, and deeply domestic. It makes you want to delete your burner phone, apologize to your spouse, and realize that saving the country is a lot easier than saving your own marriage.

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